Relapse prevention is a skill that needs to be part of any effective eating disorder recovery treatment plan. When I talk about relapse prevention, I mean planning for high risk situations—taking the time to cope ahead for any situation which may be stressful or make you vulnerable. Maybe it is going on vacation, getting into an argument with a significant other or being alone in the evenings. We all have them. It’s best to plan for them when we are not in crisis and have a plan to refer too. Make the plan specific and identify skills that may be helpful.
Example:
Situation: Eating meals by myself without support of my ED program
Plan:
- Plan specific meals
- Plan specific meal times
- Mimic program rules (eat at the table etc.)
- Plan an activity after the meal to get out of the house (to reduce purging behaviors)
- Have tea after the meal
- Remember thoughts are just thoughts-I do not need to act of them!
Take time to identify high risk situations and create a plan. You can do these plans on your own, with the help of your support system or with your therapist.
Recovery is possible. You are enough. We can recover one day at a time.
Serenity Always,
Meredith
